1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a print data editing apparatus, a print data editing program, and a recording medium for storing the print data editing program and, more specifically, to a print data editing apparatus for editing print data for printing of a QR code (“quick response” code, as associated with matrix codes or two-dimensional bar codes) and a print data editing program stored in a computer-readable storage medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a barcode for printing information such as characters and numeric characters as a graphic pattern and a two-dimensional code capable of recording further information are known. A barcode or a two-dimensional code is respectively read by a dedicated machine or photographed by a camera of a cellular phone to be read and then processed, to read information recorded in it. A two-dimensional code and a barcode can record more information and in a smaller area than the case of representing information by using a character or a numeric character and, therefore, are used for wide range of applications such as service information for a distributor, a manufacturer, an individual, etc., including description of product information for product management, display of detailed information too much to appear in the space of a pamphlet or a poster, and display of a URL at a cellular phone site in an Internet homepage.
As one of such barcodes and two-dimensional codes, a QR code may be enumerated. A single QR code is an approximately square-shaped two-dimensional one into which the same number of approximately square-shaped regions each of which is referred to as “cell” are collected vertically and horizontally. The more cells are collected, the more data can be recorded in one QR code. For example, QR codes of model 2 are assigned version numbers of “1” through “40” and prescribed to each include an increasing number of cells with an increasing version number. Specifically, if a version number is represented by N, the number of cells of each of sides of a QR code is given by “N×4+17”. Therefore, to record more information, it is necessary to use a QR of a higher numbered version, thus resulting in a larger print area. Conversely, less information can be represented by a QR code of a lower numbered version, thus resulting in a smaller print area required. Accordingly, as for an unit or software for editing print data required to print a conventional QR code created, a version number has been determined by a size of data to be recorded or by a user manually.
To change a size (print area) of a QR code, a cell size has been increased or decreased to change the size of the QR code as a whole (see Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 2003-203196, for example).
However, in a case where a size of a QR code as a whole is changed by changing a size of a cell as in the case of a barcode creation apparatus of an invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 2003-203196, each time the cell size is increased by one dot, the size of the QR code increases by dots as many as the number of cells that constitute each side of the QR code, so that such a problem occurs that the QR code size is changed stepwise.
For example, a QR code of version 5 has 37 cells for each of its sides, so that if each side of each of these cells is displayed using one dot, each side of the QR code has 37×1 dot=37 dots. If the number of dots for each cell side is increased to two, each side of the QR code has 37×2 dots=74 dots, if the number of dots for each cell side is increased to three, each side of the QR code has 111 dots, and if the number of dots for each cell side is increased to four, each side of the QR code has 148, thus resulting in a stepwise change in size. Further, a QR code of version 4 has 177 cells for each of its side, so that if the number of dots for each cell side is one, each side of the QR code has 177 dots, if the number of dots for each cell side is increased to two, each side of the QR code has 354 dots, if the number of dots for each cell side is increased to three, each side of the QR code has 531 dots, and if the number of dots for each cell side is increased to four, each side of the QR code has 708 dots. In such a manner, as an increasing version number and an increasing number of cells per each side, a difference in stepwise change of the size of the QR code owing to a change in size of each side of each of the cells increased.
Further, especially, a printer having a lower resolution has a larger size of each dot and so has a problem that a difference in stepwise change of a size of a QR code print area increases further.